Celebrating the place we call home
Every place has a story.
Some are found in sunrise surfs, quiet bush tracks and windswept beaches. Others are found in familiar faces, local cafés and family adventures.
This year, we’re inviting our community to help tell the story of the Surf Coast through your lens.
Whether you’re a professional photographer, a keen hobbyist or you’ve simply captured a special moment on your phone, we’d love to see how you see home.
What we’re looking for
Show us the moments that make postcode 3228 feel like home, including:
- Coast – beaches, cliffs and surf.
- Nature – wildlife, bushland and the changing seasons.
- Community – people, markets, cafés and local events.
- Hidden Gems – places only the locals know.
- Everyday Moments – from salty dog walks to striking sunsets.
The prizes
Thirteen winning images will be selected by renowned local photographer Ed Sloane and featured in the Natural Real Estate 2027 Calendar.
Once the finalists are announced, the community will vote to decide the calendar cover. The winning cover photographer will receive a dinner for two at one of the Surf Coast’s favourite local restaurants.
Everyone who votes will also go into the draw to win a beautifully framed print of their favourite calendar image.
All winning photographers will be credited in the calendar and recognised across our social media channels and local media.
As always, thousands of calendars will be delivered to homes and businesses across the Surf Coast, celebrating the people, places and moments that make this community so special.
See Competition T&C’s below. Any questions, DM us on Instagram or Facebook.
Courtney Gerdtz and her 2026 winning cover shot – as voted by the community!
Competition Terms & Conditions
The 2027 Natural Calendar Competition is conducted by Natural Real Estate. By entering this competition, you agree to the following Terms & Conditions.
- The competition opens on Tuesday 11 August 2026 and closes at 11.59pm AEST on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
- Photographs must be taken within postcode 3228, including Torquay, Jan Juc, Bellbrae and Bells Beach.
- All photographs must be the original work of the entrant and taken by the person submitting them.
- There is no limit to the number of entries per person. However, a maximum of two photographs from any one entrant may be selected for the final calendar (including the cover image).
- Entrants under 18 years of age must have permission from a parent or legal guardian.
- Images may be captured using a digital camera, film camera or mobile phone, provided they are submitted in landscape orientation and are suitable for printing at A4 size.
- All photographs must be submitted in colour.
- To enter, email a low-resolution version of your photograph(s), along with the photo location, your name, email address and phone number, to hello@naturalre.com.au.
- Images may be submitted in common digital formats, including JPEG and TIFF.
- Shortlisted entrants will be asked to provide a high-resolution version of their image, suitable for print, with a minimum resolution of 300 DPI and a minimum file size of 5MB.
- Basic editing is permitted to improve image quality, including adjustments to exposure, brightness, contrast and composition. Images must remain a true representation of the original scene. AI-generated or AI-enhanced images, or images where content has been added, removed or significantly altered, are not permitted.
- Permitted edits include, but are not limited to: cropping; rotation (for example, straightening a horizon); brightness and contrast adjustments.
- If a photograph contains an identifiable person, including a child, the entrant is responsible for obtaining that person’s permission (or their parent or guardian’s permission where applicable).
- Entrants retain the copyright to their photographs. By entering the competition, entrants grant Natural Real Estate a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use submitted images for competition promotion, marketing and related purposes, including in print, digital media, social media, the Natural Real Estate website and future promotional material. Every reasonable effort will be made to credit the photographer whenever an image is used.
- Shortlisted entries will first be reviewed by a judging panel. Renowned local photographer Ed Sloane will then independently select the final 13 winning images. Winners will be notified by phone or email.
- Up to 13 winning images will be featured in the Natural Real Estate 2027 Calendar, with photographer credit included.
- Winners agree to participate in reasonable promotional activities associated with the competition, including interviews, photography and publicity. By participating, winners grant Natural Real Estate a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use any photographs, video or promotional content created in connection with the competition.